11 Facts About Francis Humphrys

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Francis Henry Humphrys was a British cricketer, colonial administrator and diplomat.

Francis Henry Humphrys was born in Shropshire, at Beatrice Street, Oswestry, where his father was assistant master at Oswestry School.

Francis Humphrys was educated at Shrewsbury School, where he was captain of cricket and head of the school, and Christ Church, Oxford, where he played first-class cricket for Oxford University.

Francis Humphrys played 3 further first-class matches in 1900, the last coming against Sussex.

Francis Humphrys was seconded to the Political Service and spent most of this part of his career in the North-West Frontier Province, although in 1918, towards the end of World War I he returned to Europe and served with a temporary commission in the newly formed Royal Air Force.

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In November 1928 a rebellion began in Jalalabad and tribal forces marched on Kabul, and in early 1929 Francis Humphrys supervised the evacuation by air of several hundred Europeans in what became known as the Kabul Airlift.

Later in 1929 Francis Humphrys was appointed to be High Commissioner in the Kingdom of Iraq, then under British administration.

In 1935 Francis Humphrys retired from the diplomatic service and was appointed chairman of a Sugar Tribunal which resulted in the creation of the British Sugar Corporation, of which he was chairman from its formation in 1936 until 1949.

In 1907 Francis Humphrys married Gertrude Mary Deane, known as "Gertie", elder daughter of Sir Harold Deane, Chief Commissioner of the North-West Frontier Province.

Francis Humphrys died at a nursing home at Hamstead Marshall near Newbury, Berkshire in 1971, aged ninety-two.

Francis Humphrys was knighted KBE in the King's Birthday Honours of 1924, awarded the additional honours of GCVO in 1928 and KCMG in 1929, and promoted GCMG in the New Year Honours of 1932.